Men’s, women’s fencing struggle versus tough competition

December 3, 2012

The NYU fencing teams did not fair well at the Vassar Invitational, where the men finished the day with a 1-5 record and the women, 0-7. The tournament was hosted by Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. on Saturday, Dec. 1 and featured competition among perennial powerhouses University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and other Division I teams.

NYU men’s fencing was defeated by five Division I opponents at the competition. Penn defeated NYU 23-4, followed by a loss to Penn State University 22-5. The third match of the day proved to be a close one, but NYU ultimately fell to the University of North Carolina 14-13. The next two matches were brutal, with NYU losing to Harvard University 23-4 and to Princeton University 22-5.

“The team had a tough group of opponents to go against, as at NYU we have one of the most difficult schedules in the nation, so our results are not as impressive as schools with easier schedules,” senior captain Phil Jamesson said.

The Violets’ sole win came in the final match of the day, when they defeated Sacred Heart University, another Division I school, 14-13.

Jamesson had the most victories for NYU, recording nine wins overall and eight losses in foil.

“Our team’s victory against Sacred Heart is sure to be a great memory for a long time to come, as we had our entire team cheering on Stephan Teng, Andrew Kelly and Jerry Xu, as they swept the last three bouts to clinch the 14-13 victory,” Jamesson said.

NYU women’s fencing lost all seven of their matches at the Vassar Invitational.

“Overall the team showed a lot of heart throughout the day,” Fox said. “Staying focused and fighting seems simple, but when there’s a lot of pressure, and you’re fencing from 10 a.m. to about 5 p.m., it’s very difficult.”

NYU will host the NYU Invitational at the Coles Sports Center on Sunday, Jan. 27.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Dec. 3 print edition. Mary Jane Dumankaya is a deputy sports editor. Email her at mdumankaya@nyunews.com.